Vegeance is Mine
by charli911
Summary: Mag 7: CSET AU-And old enemy with a grudge comes looking for Vin; And old friend comes to his rescue ..Originally archives at Lady Angel's ..Rated T for some mention of rape and murder, bad language
1. Chapter 1

VENGEANCE IS MINE

By Charli911 & Larabeelady

Summary: C-SET AU— Story #2 in the C-Set Universe-an old enemy of Vin's come calling; an old friend comes to the rescue.

Disclaimer: The boys (sigh) belong to Trilogy Entertainment and the Mirisch Group

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**_CHAPTER 1_**

The shots shattering the window woke Vin Tanner from a deep sleep. He instinctively rolled off the bed and onto the floor, grabbing his gun off the nightstand on the way. He lay on the floor next to the bed, trying to determine how many assailants there were. After a couple of minutes of silence, he moved, crawling on his stomach toward the only, now shattered, window in the room.

He reached the wall under the window, trying to be careful of the broken glass, but feeling the sharp pieces through the thin sweatpants he habitually wore to bed. He hissed as he moved, a sliver working its way into the ball of his feet. He raised himself slowly, just enough to peer out the window. The full moon lit the ground well enough for him to see the corral. He could see nothing out of the ordinary. He concentrated on slowing his breathing, hoping to quiet the  
sound of his heart pounding in his ears.

There, footsteps on the front porch. He moved again, this time toward the bedroom door. He'd heard one set of footsteps; hoped he was only dealing with a single person. Still on the floor, lying against the wall, he nudged open the door with his fingers. He winced when the hinge squeaked, but didn't have long to dwell on the noise, since seconds later bullets slammed into the door, ripping it from his hand.

"Shit!" he cried out as he rolled away from the door.

"Tanner! You bastard! You're a dead man!"

Vin didn't recognize the voice, but wasn't about to wait around for an introduction. His sprint toward the window was halted by the deafening explosion that shook the small cabin. He fell against the bed, scrambling to find his footing. He needed to get out of the structure before it burned down around him.

He could hear the whooshing sound from the fire as it consumed his meager belongings. His jeep was parked in the barn and he knew he had to reach it, but he had to get to the front of his small house to do it. He reached the window and using his handgun, scraped most of the remaining glass from the window. He took a deep breath and dived out of the window, falling flat onto the ground. When no shots came his way, he began to crawl toward the front of the cabin.

Another explosion rocked the wood frame, sending debris into the air around him. He was getting his feet under him when a final, horrendous explosion lifted him off the ground, then slammed him back down again. As he hit the ground, he landed next to the outside of the fireplace that made up most of the west wall of his living room. As the noise from the last explosion echoed through the woods, the fireplace stones began to crumble, tumbling down onto the prone figure on the ground.

Vin lay on his back, dazed by the events of the last few minutes. He'd lost his grip on his weapon and was quickly losing his grip on consciousness. As the darkness surrounded him, more of the heavy stones fell around him and covered his body. The last thing he heard before blacking out completely was the maniacal laughter of his assailant. And finally he recognized the devil.

/

Chris Larabee looked at his watch for the tenth time in the last five minutes. He was getting worried. Vin Tanner hadn't shown up to work yet. He was already an hour late and that was not like the former bounty hunter. In the few weeks since Tanner had joined their team he was usually the first one in the office every morning, beating even Casey. And he lived further away than any of the others.

They had tried to raise him on his cellphone, but got no answer. That in itself was not a concern, since Vin was still getting used to carrying it and often forgot to charge it. And he didn't have a regular phone. He lived so high into the mountains that phone lines didn't run that far.

What concerned them was that he wasn't answering the short wave radio. Since that was Vin's main means of communication when he was at his cabin, it was always turned on. Of course there was always the chance that he'd been in the barn when they'd tried to call him, but that was unlikely since Casey had been calling pretty much every five minutes for an hour.

Chris stood up and walked out his office door, grabbing his coat along the way. The other five waited for him, near Casey's desk, ready to follow him.

Buck Wilmington slipped his coat on. "You think something's happened to him, don't you?"

"He's never late, Buck, you know that."

"We agree with you Chris," Josiah Sanchez said, pulling gloves on.

Chris nodded his gratitude. "Casey, keep trying him on the radio and his cell. If you get hold of him, let me know."

"Will do, Chris."

Ezra Standish pulled his wool coat on over his suit coat. "I have already procured aerial transportation, Mr. Larabee. But we won't have a suitable landing zone once we reach Mr. Tanner's abode."

"I know, but at least you can get us a fast overview of the area. Take Josiah and Nathan with you. JD and Buck will go with me in my truck." He noted that Nathan Jackson, their resident paramedic, already carried his medical bag. He only hoped it wasn't needed.

"Let's ride, boys!"

/

They'd been on the road for about forty-five minutes when the radio squawked.

"Eagle to Ground, Eagle to Ground, do you copy?"

Buck picked up the radio microphone from the seat next to him and replied to Josiah's call. "Go ahead, Eagle."

"Ground, we're about five minutes out and are seeing black smoke from the vicinity of Vin's cabin. We can't tell for sure yet if that's what's on fire."

Chris tightened his grip on the wheel and Buck could see his jaw clench in concern. "Copy Eagle. We'll step it up." They were already traveling faster than was safe on the old county fire road, the only vehicle access to Vin's place. The 'road' was barely wide enough for one car and they lost the last of the asphalt about ten miles back.

"Base to ground. Chris are you there?"

"Stand by one, Eagle," Buck said and switched the radio channel. "Ground to base, go ahead, Casey."

"No luck contacting Vin yet, but I just talked to the Sheriff's Office. They said they had gotten some reports earlier about loud explosions in the area, but because of a landslide, they haven't had anyone available to check it out. Same with the fire department, they've been helping clear the slide. Sheriff Dixon said he can free up a couple of men and start them your way and to let him know if you need more."

"Copy that, Casey. Did you copy Josiah's transmission?"

"Affirmative. I'll let the fire department know, see if they can free someone up. Let me know if there's any danger of forest fire."

"Copy." Wilmington switched back over just as Josiah called again.

"Eagle to Ground. We're overhead. It's Vin's place. There's nothing left of the cabin, Buck!" Sanchez's concerned was easily heard over the airwaves.

"And Vin?" Buck asked, glancing at Larabee and seeing the jaw tighten even more.

"No movement down there….no wait…I see, what the hell…is that a wolf?"

"Josiah, did I copy that, a wolf?"

"Ah, yeah, a wolf or a huge dog, it's pawing at the ground near the shambles of the house. We'll see if we can get a shot at it."

"NO! Josiah, wait. Is this wolf black with a silver streak down the back?" Buck asked anxiously, ignoring the curious look he got from Chris.

"Ah…well, yes it appears that it is. What's going on, Buck?"

"That wolf is actually a hybrid. A wolf-dog. It's been hanging around Vin's place for a couple of years, since he rescued it from an old bear trap. It won't hurt Vin. In fact, take a close look around where she's pawing the ground. She may have found him."

In the helicopter, Nathan picked up a pair of powerful binoculars. Focusing in on the ground, he saw the wolf-dog and the pile of stones she was near. He moved the binoculars slowly around the area the canine was working. His quiet curse alerted the others in the aircraft that he'd found something.

"I see what looks like a body under the rubble on the north side. And it's not moving," Nathan reported.

"We'll be there in less than ten minutes," Buck acknowledge.

Chris pressed down on the accelerator. The big truck slewed slightly on the dirt before gaining traction.

"I didn't know Vin had a pet wolf," JD remarked from the back seat.

"She's not really a pet," Buck explained. "It's more wild than anything. Vin thinks it either got lost while its owners were up here camping or the owners released it up here on purpose. Vin freed it from the trap and nursed it back to health. And in return, the animal kind of adopted him. She doesn't much like other people though, so will probably take off as soon as we pull up."

Buck caught himself from falling into Chris, as the team leader took the final curve too quickly. They could now smell the smoke from the burning cabin. As they cleared the trees, they finally caught sight of the house…or what was left of it. The east wall was still partially standing, but everything else was on the ground. Small fires could be seen in the debris and pieces of wood were smoldering all over the small clearing.

Chris slammed on the brakes. "Oh, my God!" Buck exclaimed. They stared at the destruction for several long seconds before Chris pulled the rest of the way to the house and threw the truck into park, jumping out and racing toward the rubble. Buck and JD were right behind him.

Off to the left, on the north of the cabin, Vin's horse, Elmer, was nervously dancing in the corral. He whinnied as the men ran closer. JD carefully approached, hoping to calm the horse down so he didn't hurt himself. Buck and Chris headed to the side of the house where Josiah had seen the animal.

As they got closer, they could hear the canine whimpering. They slowed down, not wanting to spook it. Chris stopped, putting out an arm to halt Buck beside him. Then he took a couple cautious steps closer.

"Careful, Chris," Wilmington warned. Under the rubble, they could now see an arm and tufts of long brown hair blowing in the slight breeze, Vin's face uncovered, his eyes closed.

"Easy girl," Chris said softly to the creature. He moved to within a few feet then crouched down and reached out his hand. "I'm not gonna hurt him, we're here to help." As he leaned forward, stones next to him moved, startling the wolf-dog. She growled and moved into a protective stance over the injured man.

"It's okay, girl, I didn't mean to scare you. I just want to help." Chris waited as the animal warily watched them, then began sniffing, stepping closer to Larabee's outstretched hand. When Chris didn't move, the wolf got closer, finally licking Chris' hand. Carefully, the blond man reached up and scratched behind the animal's ear, then moved closer and knelt down next to Vin.

The wolf began whimpering again, as if pleading with the man to help her friend. She lowered her muzzle to nudge Vin's head like she was trying to wake the injured man up. Chris continued to pet the animal as he reached out his other hand to feel for a pulse. "Let's help Vin, okay girl?" he said to the animal.

"Hey, Cowboy, can you hear me?" Chris asked, laying his hand on the side of Vin's neck. He released a sigh of relief when he felt the regular beat against his fingers.

"Chris?" Buck inquired.

"He's alive," came the soft reply.

"I'll let Nathan know," the big man said and ran back to the truck.

"C'mon Vin, wake up for me," Chris implored, lightly tapping the unconscious man on the face.

Buck returned with a bottle of water and a towel and handed them to Larabee. Then he started removing the large stones that covered his friend. Chris poured some of the water onto the towel and wiped it across Tanner's face, continuing to plead with him to wake up.

"Chris!" JD yelled, running up to the three men. He stopped when the wolf growled.

"Easy, kid," Buck said, "don't spook her."

"Sorry."

"What is it, JD?"

"Josiah said they spotted a car parked about twelve miles from here, looks out of place. They were able to get a plate and ran it. It's stolen. They called the Sheriff and let them know what's going on. Ezra is going to drop Nathan nearby. He can't land, but they have a rope ladder on board, so they should be able to get in close. They said not to move Vin until Nathan can check him out."

"Thanks, JD. We're gonna need to take him out in my truck. There's some blankets in the back seat. Can you dig them out for me and put them in back where Nathan can use them?" Dunne nodded and ran off.

Chris and Buck finished digging Vin out as they heard the helicopter fly overhead and descend until it was about thirty feet off the ground. It startled the wolf and she scampered into the nearby forest. Chris bent over Vin's face with his body, protecting him from the dirt and debris sent flying by the winds from the rotor blades. A rope ladder dropped from the open door and Nathan started down. As soon as he hit the ground, Josiah lowered his medical bag to him on a rope. He dropped the end of the rope to Jackson, then pulled the ladder back into the chopper and Ezra guided it away.

The medic rushed over to Vin's side and began checking him over as the brought the others up-to-date. "We called an ambulance, it's gonna meet us at the crossroads. Ezra contacted the Sheriff. They got some men on the way now. Said to let them know if we want to start a full call-out for the search." Nathan continued to access Vin's injuries as he talked. "Ezra and Josiah will stay airborne and start doing a grid search to see if they spot anybody in the area, especially near the car. Buck, find me a flat board we can carry him on. I want to keep his back straight when we move him."

"Got it, Doc," Wilmington nodded and left to check the barn, knowing that the wood around the house would more than likely be weakened by the fire or burned too badly to be useful.

"How is he, Nate?" Chris asked.

"Well, looks like he's probably got a concussion. Won't know how serious until we get him to the hospital. His left wrist is broken. He's got some bruising around the ribs, but it doesn't look like any are broken. X-rays will confirm that. And there is some swelling around his right knee. He also has some superficial burns on his chest, not too bad, but they'll need to be cleaned good." Nathan removed a metal splint from his bag and secured it around Vin's broken wrist. He also cleaned and bandaged a cut on Vin's forehead, a temporary measure since the cut was deep enough to require stitches.

Buck and JD returned with a long piece of wood that appeared to be half of an old door. Chris and Nathan carefully tilted Vin onto his side, keeping his head and body aligned, while JD and Buck slid the wood underneath. As they got him settled onto their makeshift stretcher, Vin let out a low moan. Nathan checked him again, talking softly to see if they could rouse the sharpshooter. Getting no response, he went back to securing his head from moving by wrapping long pieces of gauze around his head and the wood, tying it off to keep it secured.

Each man took a corner and they lifted, walking toward the truck with their burden, dodging the rubble strewn across the yard. They carefully slid the patient into the back of the truck. The movement jostled Vin and he moaned again.

"Vin, can you hear me?" Nathan asked laying a hand on Tanner's forehead. Getting no response, the medic checked Vin's pupils again, which forced a soft cry from the injured man.

Chris climbed in and knelt down on the opposite side of his friend. "Hey, Cowboy, wake up." Larabee rested his hand on Vin's chest, well away from any bruises or burns. Gently rubbing his knuckles on the bare skin, Chris continued to talk to him.

"C'mon, Vin, open your eyes, talk to me." After several long moments, Tanner's eyes fluttered. "That's it, Cowboy, wake up."

A louder moan escaped Vin's lips as his eyelids opened, then slammed shut against the bright sun. Chris moved to block the light. "Try it again, Vin."

Slowly, Tanner opened his eyes once more, just slits against the smoke darkened skin. When he realized the sun wasn't a problem, he opened them fully, and found himself staring up at Larabee.

"Chris," he mumbled.

"Yeah, Vin, we're here. You're gonna be alright. We're getting ready to take you to the hospital."

"Get the bas'ard?" Vin asked.

"No, not yet. Did you see who it was?"

"Grissom."

"Shit!" Chris exclaimed, shaking his head at Nathan's questioning glance. "Don't worry, Vin. We'll find him. You just rest and listen to Nathan, okay?"

"Hurts, Chris," he hissed and closed his eyes again.

"Where does it hurt, Vin?" Nathan asked.

A few seconds went by in silence, causing the others to think he might have passed out again. Then his tongue poked out to move across his dry lips. His voice was raspy and his breathing harsh as he tried to answer Nathan's question.

"Head…side," he said, taking shallow breaths between each word. "And my arm….leg…Chris…" the last was almost a plea.

"You're gonna be fine, Cowboy," Larabee told him.

"Find 'im, Chris….hurt som'n else."

"We'll find him," Chris assured him.

"We gotta go, Chris," Nathan insisted. A nod was his only reply. Larabee jumped from the truck. Reaching back in, he touched his friend's arm.

"Take care of him, Nate. JD, you drive," he said. "Buck, let's take a look around, see if we can find out which way that asshole went." Larabee grabbed the hand held radio that Nathan handed him, so that he could keep in contact with the helicopter. He and Chris watched the truck drive away until Buck reached over and softly tapped his boss on the arm, diverting his attention from his injured friend.

"Let's go, pard. The faster we find this guy, the faster we can get to the hospital." Chris glanced over at his oldest friend and gave him a small smile. Chris updated Josiah and Ezra about Vin's condition and about the suspect. He also told them to contact the Sheriff's Search team. Then he and Buck started walking around the property, looking for any sign of the man who hurt Vin.

"So who's Grissom?" Buck asked a couple minutes later.

"A lowlife that Vin brought in during his bounty hunting days."

"I don't remember that name." Buck knew that Tanner had worked mainly out of Northern California and Nevada but was in such demand that it hadn't been unusual for him to venture to most of the western states after a fugitive.

"It was a Texas case. A friend of his who works for the Texas Rangers requested his help in bringing back a million-dollar bail jumper. He didn't originally hire on for the bounty on that one, but did it as a favor to his friend."

"A million bucks? Bounty hunters usually draw ten percent of the bail. Damn, that woulda netted him a hundred grand!"

"Yeah. His buddy convinced him to take it after he'd spent a month chasing the guy. He said he used that money to buy this property up here."

"For that kind of bail, it had to be a murder case," Buck remarked.

"Multiple murders, actually. Including two cops and a firefighter. But the Rangers got information that he'd booked to Canada and you know how our northern neighbors are about sending back anyone who would be facing the death penalty. And the prosecutor and the victim's family were insisting on that. But the Rangers couldn't pursue him."

"And Vin could. Who did he kill besides those three?"

"A family of seven. A girl who had refused to go out with him and her entire family, including her 6-month old sister." The two men were walking an ever-widening circle around the smoldering remains of the cabin as they talked. Periodically one of them would find a book or item of clothing that had been blown clear by the explosions. But almost everything that Tanner had in the house was destroyed.

Chris vowed to save everything he could, once the bastard who'd done this was safely behind bars again. Or six feet under. And Larabee really didn't care which.

"So, this guy escaped?"

"Yeah. Vin's Ranger friend called him day before yesterday to let him know, since the guy had written a number of people over the last couple years he'd been in prison, threatening to kill Vin if he ever got out. Vin came out to my place that night to let me know. We planned to bring you all up-to-date this morning, but…" Chris voiced faded as he took another look at the devastation around him.

"He'll be okay, Chris. You heard Nathan."

"I know. It's just that that sonuvabitch was able to buy his way from a death sentence to life in prison without parole. His father was some bigwig oil guy. He should have been executed."

"How'd he get away?"

A bitter laugh escaped. "According to Vin's friend, some soft hearted…or should I say, soft-headed…judge gave him permission to attend his mother's funeral. His two armed escorts were overpowered and he was whisked away. The family, of course, claims to know nothing about his plans," Chris added sarcastically, stopping to take a deep breath. "The guy is certifiable, Buck. From everything Vin told me, and what I read of the report his buddy sent up, this guy should never have seen the light of day. They should have locked him in a cell and forgot he was there."

Chris rubbed his hands across his face, suddenly weary. His mind returned to the night when Vin had told him everything he knew about the man and the evil he'd done. "He tied up that family and made them watch while he raped their daughter. Then he raped her 12-year old sister too. When he was done with both of them, he tied them up as well. Then he poured gasoline over all of them and lit a match. The neighbors said that they could hear him laugh over the screams of the family as he walked away. He didn't even try to hide."

"What about the cops and firefighter?" Buck asked quietly, stunned.

"Two Homicide detectives and an arson investigator. They went to his home to arrest him. As they busted down the door, they set off some booby-traps. Those three were killed and two other cops were injured. When he finally got to trial, he actually took the stand. Vin went to the trial as a show of support to his friend. Grissom actually joked about "crispy critters" when he was asked about the people he killed."

Silence reigned in the small clearing for the next few minutes as the two men continued to search. Each man imagined the absolute fear that had to have been going through the minds of that family. And each knew that their imaginations could never match reality.

"Here we go," Chris exclaimed, crouching down near the backside of the corral. "Hiking boot tracks. Headed off to the northwest." He pulled the radio from his pocket. "Ground to Eagle."

"Eagle here," Josiah's baritone voiced replied.

"We've found some tracks heading northwest. Buck and I will be following. Let us know if you spot anything between here and that car."

"Copy, Ground. Also be advised, the Sheriff's Search and Rescue is about 30 minutes out. They won't have a K-9 available for another hour though. He advised that he got the teletype on Grissom and is aware of his history. He's also going to bring his bomb squad along to check out the vehicle. And they're getting their chopper in the air as well."

"Received. I want to saturate the area between here and that car, but don't want to overlook other directions just in case. He may have another vehicle stashed nearby or that may not be his car to begin with. I don't want to take any chances with this guy. He's killed law enforcement personnel before."

"Copy that, Chris," Josiah said, ending his transmission. Buck and Larabee headed into the woods, following the tracks.

/


	2. Chapter 2

**_CHAPTER 2 _**

Two hours later, they were still on the fugitive's trail. Josiah had let them know that the car had been checked and found free of explosives. But it had been loading with firearms. And they found enough evidence in the car to indicate that it was indeed Grissom who had driven it there.

The tracks had begun to ramble. They couldn't be sure if Grissom was lost or if he was aware they were following. The latter seemed likely, since until five minutes ago, there had been two helicopters crisscrossing the sky. Ezra was refueling and would be enroute back shortly. And Nathan and JD were returning to the area also. Once they knew that Vin would be okay, they'd headed back to assist in the search, at Tanner's insistence.

The sharpshooter had been able to relay some information to Nathan about the escaped con on the trip down the hill, and he wanted to be sure that Buck and Chris had all the help they could get. He knew Grissom, knew how he operated, and knew that every man would be needed. It had taken threats of Larabee retaliation to keep Tanner from leaving the hospital and joining them.

There was now a lot of manpower in the area, many officers coming in off duty when they'd heard that Tanner was the victim. Vin was well-known and well-respected by local law enforcement officers. Like Buck, many had seen him work on Search and Rescues. But they also respected him as a bounty hunter, which was unusual since most cops barely tolerated those in that occupation.

Many bounty hunters were arrogant and operated on the fringes of the law, often not restricted by the civil rights that police officers were. But those who knew Vin Tanner knew that he had always taken great care in bringing in his targets with the least amount of danger to innocents. He often waited extra days or weeks in an effort to get his subject alone and took them in with a minimal amount of fuss.

Nathan and JD hooked up with a search team that was on an intercept course with Chris and Buck, who were still following the erratic course that Grissom was on.

"Ground 1 to all units. Give me an update," Chris requested. The units responded in order, as they had every twenty minutes since they'd gotten organized. They now had five teams in the woods. And three men were watching the vehicle in case Grissom returned.

Chris returned the radio to this pocket then started off again, Buck just in front of him, having taken the lead. They had been following the tracks for several miles. But just in the last hour, they'd noticed something new. They were not the only ones following Grissom.

It seems that he'd also picked up a four-legged tail. Chris had noted the wolf tracks when they left Vin's but knew that the canine had run-off into the woods. But a few miles after the two men had begun their trek, they discovered the wolf tracks and Grissom's tracks had come together and it now appeared that the wolf was following behind the killer.

Chris wasn't sure if it was the same wolf they'd seen earlier, but it didn't matter. He was sorely tempted to let the wolf take care of the fugitive, but Vin would never forgive him if it was his wolf and it somehow got injured. They knew that Grissom was armed and Larabee didn't want to chance the animal getting shot. Of course, he also knew that the wolf would more than likely find the man before any of the search teams could. Chris was pulled from his thoughts as he almost ran into Buck, who had stopped suddenly.

"Buck…" he began, irritated.

"Ah, Pard, you best take a look here."

"What is it, Buck?" he asked, stepping around the bigger man. Then he saw it. The wolf, Vin's wolf, was standing in the middle of the woods about twenty feet in front of them, watching them. As Chris got closer, the creature turned and walked away. Chris stopped, not sure what was happening. The wolf looked back over her shoulder and stopped again, staring at Larabee.

Chris started toward him again and the wolf walked away again. "What the…?"

"What is goin' on?" Buck asked.

"No idea. But we might as well follow her. We were heading that way anyway." Chris shrugged and started after the animal. Buck just shook his head and jogged to catch up.

/

Thirty minutes later, they were still following the wolf and they could see the human tracks as well. It was crazy, Chris knew, but he decided to continue to let the wolf lead the way. He felt a little like Timmy following Lassie. But Lassie was usually right, so what the hell.

Buck had the radio and was keeping the others informed of the direction. Ezra and Josiah were coordinating the other teams from the air. They hoped to close the circle around the man.

Suddenly the wolf darted into the woods to their right. Chris stopped, losing visual contact on the animal. He looked around and noticed the boot tracks continued forward. He decided to follow the tracks he could see, not sure what was happening with the wolf. Buck followed behind him.

They were careful, since they knew that Grissom had some experience in the woods. Chris was beginning to think that the man wasn't lost, but had some kind of plan in mind.

The silence was interrupted by a squawk from the radio. "Eagle 2 to Ground 1." Buck reached for the radio and turned the volume down a bit before responding.

"Eagle 2, go ahead."

"Ground 1, we just spotted another vehicle on the northeast fire road, roughly due east from your current location. No one near it, plates come back stolen out of New Mexico."

"Standby, Eagle 2," Buck glanced at Chris who was looking at the trail ahead of them.

"Anybody close who can divert that way?" he asked. Buck relayed the question over the air. One of the ground units was within a mile. They were ordered to check and make sure Grissom wasn't near the vehicle, but not to go through it until the bomb squad arrived, reminded of Grissom's expertise with explosives.

The other units would close ranks and continue in. Chris and Buck took a few moments to listen and watch the forest around them before they headed out again.

"He's close, Buck. I can feel 'im."

"Where you think that wolf went?"

"Don't know. Maybe she ran ahead to detain the bastard for us."

"If so, I hope she rips the asshole's throat out."

"Let's keep going. I want to bag this guy before lunch." Buck check his watch. Noon. But he wasn't about to tell Chris it was already lunchtime. When one of Larabee's men was involved, everything was secondary to getting the job done.

They continued following the tracks for another ten minutes, until they came upon a clearing. About thirty feet across, there was a large boulder in the middle roughly the size of a small car. The two men exchanged glances then separated, going in opposite directions around the edge of the clearing, staying concealed in the surrounding trees.

/

Pete Grissom leaned back against the rock, breathing deeply. He took a drink of water from the canteen he'd been carrying on his belt. He'd seen no sign of the helicopter for twenty minutes or so, but could still hear them off to the east.

"Fuck," he cursed softly. He hoped they hadn't found his back up vehicle. He'd been planning this too damn long and wasn't about to be taken back to prison. How the hell did they get onto him so fast, he thought? He knew it hadn't been Tanner. That bastard hadn't gotten out of the house as far as Grissom had seen. But the explosions might have been heard by someone. He chuckled as he remembered his glee as the roof lifted off of Tanner's pitiful excuse for a home.

From everything he'd heard, Tanner made big bucks as a bounty hunter. He wondered where he stashed it, since he certainly hadn't spent it on that paltry excuse for a mountain cabin. Hell, he probably stuffed it in his mattress. Grissom began thinking that maybe he should have just shot Tanner and searched his place before he blew it up. He could always use more money. Oh, well, it's not like he didn't have access to his family's money. His father may not like the fact that he was going after Tanner, but he wouldn't cut him off. He was too afraid of him to do that. Yes, good old Dad, afraid his own kid would tie him up and burn him. And Grissom would if the old geezer double-crossed him.

Grissom laughed out loud, then suddenly remembered where he was. He quieted down, glancing around him as well as he could. He jumped when he saw someone walking in the woods to his left, darting between the trees. Cursing, he slipped into a crouch and scooted back, taking a gun out of his jacket. He aimed at the figure before he heard another sound behind him. Whirling around, he began to pull the trigger on his weapon, hoping to hit the blond, black clad man who was trying to sneak up on him.

He saw only a quick flash of black before he was slammed to his back, the shot still echoing through the clearing. The two men he'd seen jumped back into the trees. Grissom felt a sharp pain in his wrist, like several knives being embedded there. Curiously calm, he glanced at his wrist and saw a huge jaw clamped around it, the teeth tearing at his skin. The wolf was shaking its head as it growled and chewed at the limb in its mouth. Its heavy body lay cross Grissom's chest.

The gun fell from suddenly numb fingers. The fugitive finally realized what was happening and started screaming and writhing around, trying to dislodge the animal from atop him. Unsuccessful, he reached with his left hand to the knife on his belt. Struggling to pull it out, he rolled onto his right side, almost blacking out from the pain in his arm, the wolf's teeth tearing through the skin and scraping the bone.

He screamed again and yanked the knife clear, immediately plunging it into the wolf's side. The huge animal yelped, releasing Grissom's wrist, and was thrown to the ground as the escapee jerkily got to his feet.

He staggered around the other side of the rock, dropping the knife and pulling out a second gun from the back of his waist.

"Grissom! Give it up!" a voice called. "You can't get out of here. We have all exits covered."

The fugitive took a blind shot in the direction of the voice and was rewarded with a muffled curse.

"Chris!" yelled another voice.

"Stay down, Buck!"

Grissom decided to make a run for it. Taking a deep breath, he took another shot in the direction of the one named Chris, then turned and fired wildly in Buck's direction while running for the woods.

Wilmington fired and saw Grissom stumble but continue into the woods.

"Shit! Chris, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Did you hit him?"

"I don't know," he pulled out the radio. "All units. Grissom just ran west from our location. He is armed and it's possible he's been hit. He has fired on officers. Repeat, he is armed and has fired at us."

"Buck, are you okay?" Nathan's voice came back.

"Yeah, we're okay." Buck looked over at Chris, who was leaning over the wolf. "Is anybody close?"

"Yeah, me, JD and two deputies are coming at you, about ten minutes out," Nathan replied.

"Team Four is coming from the south," another voice said.

"Good, we'll move from here." He broke off the transmission. "Let's go, Chris."

"She's hurt, Buck," Larabee said, still kneeling by the wolf, stroking her head.

"Chris, we gotta get Grissom. We'll come back for her." Chris looked up, torn between backing up his friend and helping this animal that had taken a bullet meant for him.

"She saved my life, Buck," Chris pleaded.

Wilmington walked over and knelt beside the canine, which was panting heavily. "I know, Chris. I saw it. But we have to stop this guy. It won't take long, and then we'll get the wolf to a vet." Chris didn't look up, just continued to rub his hand in the fur.

A short distance away, JD and Nathan, followed by two deputies, veered slightly from their trek, to intersect the fugitive's path. After just a few minutes they heard a muttered curse and stumbling footsteps.

Suddenly a man stumbled out of the trees in front of them. A deputy yelled, "Drop the gun!"

Grissom raised his gun and fired, then ran back into the trees, dragging his right leg. The deputy grunted in pain and fell. Nathan keyed the radio as he ran over to the deputy, calling into the radio.

"Officer down! Officer down! Buck! He's coming back at you! He's limping badly."

Back in the clearing, the two men looked up when they heard the shots, toward the trees where Grissom had run. Lifting their weapons, they started to stand.

Chris lay a hand on the wolf's head. "I'll be right back, girl. Then we'll get you some help. You hang on now."

Larabee and Wilmington split, melding into the woods on either side. It was quiet in the clearing except for the soft panting from the wounded animal. Another barrage of shots sounded, causing the wolf to try lifting its head. The effort was too much, though, and it dropped back into the bloodstained dirt.

Nathan helped the injured officer sit up, checking the wound in his arm. "It's a through-and-through," he remarked, wrapping a cloth around it and tying it off.

"I'm okay," the injured man insisted. "Go after him." He pushed Nathan away with his good arm. "Mike, go!" he yelled at his partner. Mike Mulligan nodded and turned to JD.

"C'mon, kid," he said. After exchanging a look with Jackson, JD followed Mulligan. Nathan finished up the bandaging job, then he and the deputy trailed more slowly behind them.

"Over there!" JD yelled, catching a glimpse of the fugitive through the trees. They could hear the helicopter closing in overhead, the rotor wash ruffling the treetops. JD and Mike saw Grissom run behind a rock outcropping.

"Grissom! Give it up!" JD yelled from behind a tree nearby. "You're surrounded! You won't get out of these woods!"

"Fuck you, cop! I ain't going back to that hellhole. I did what I came to do."

"If you came to kill Vin Tanner, you failed," Dunne informed him. "He's alive and well. He'll be out of the hospital in a couple of days."

"Bullshit! That house went up and that sonuvabitch was inside when it blew!" Grissom laughed. "Oh, what a pretty sight that was!"

"The house blew up, alright! But Vin got out," JD yelled. "And he's ready to send you back to prison where you belong."

"Fuck! Goddamned bastard!" Grissom ranted for several long seconds. "I'll kill him! First I'll kill all of you, then I'll kill him and anyone who gets in my way." Grissom, irrational now in his anger, stepped out from behind the rock firing his gun. JD and Mike ducked behind the trees they were using for cover. After three shots the firing stopped.

"Drop it!" Nathan yelled, having come up. He saw Grissom drop back behind the rock, trying to reload. JD also spotted the man reloading and moved to a better vantage point. From just a few feet away, he called out again. "You got nowhere to go, Grissom."

The fugitive looked up and saw JD behind a tree on a slight rise to his side. Dunne had his weapon trained on his target. A noise to his left caused Grissom to look the other way, only to find two more guns pointing his way.

He lowered his hand, letting the empty weapon fall from his grip. Then he raised both hands and placed them on his head. JD glanced at Nathan, who nodded at him. The younger man holstered his firearm and approached the fugitive, relying on Jackson and Mike Mulligan to cover him. He walked up behind Grissom and reached out to put his hand on Grissom's head, ready to grab his hair like he was taught in the police academy, an easy way of keeping a subject under control.

But before he could get a hold on the convict, Grissom brought down his hands and began to turn. Nathan and Mulligan couldn't fire for fear of hitting JD, since he was only a few steps behind the suspect. But JD again remembered his training. At the first move from Grissom, the former Boston cop ducked into a crouch. Swinging one leg away from his body, he brought it around and knocked Grissom's feet out from under him.

As Grissom fell forward, JD lunged, pinning the man to the ground. He tried to reach for the fugitive's arm in an attempt to cuff him. But the man began squirming around under him. Just when it seemed that he would lose control of his captive, he used one final tactic. Bringing up his knee between the man's legs, JD slammed it into the man's testicles.

The fugitive howled in pain and stopped moving, except to try and soothe his battered balls.

"Nice shot, JD," Nathan said with a smile as he knelt down and handed Dunne a set of cuffs. The young man grinned as he grabbed Grissom's arm and snapped the metal bracelets on his prisoner. It was only then that Nathan noticed the injury that Grissom had sustained.

As JD tightened the cuffs around Grissom's other wrist, Jackson reached for his radio as the injured deputy made his way to them. He was holding his arm, his face pale. "All units, suspect is in custody. We have an officer wounded and the suspect is wounded."

"Nathan, there is a clearing about 100 yards east of your location. It's large enough for Ezra to set this thing down," Josiah informed him.

Chris and Buck met up again in the woods. "Buck, give me the radio." Wilmington handed it over then followed as Chris headed back to the clearing. "Nathan, are either injuries life threatening?"

"Negative, Chris. Officer took a through-and-through to the left arm. Suspect was grazed in the right buttock."

Chris heard Buck mutter, "I hope that was my bullet that hit him in the ass."

"Good. Eagle 1, you'll have another patient on that chopper, so wait for me to get there."

"Buck's hit?" Nathan asked.

"No. We had some help out here and she took a bullet meant for me. She's in bad shape. Grissom also stabbed her."

"I'll be right there."

"Negative. Take too long. I'll carry her." Chris threw the radio at Buck and ran back toward the clearing. Buck juggled the radio a bit to keep from dropping it.

"Chris, what kind of wounds? Chris? You shouldn't move her, Chris."

"Buck here, Nathan. Just have lots of bandages ready. Chris won't have trouble moving her, she's relatively light…considering." Buck knew he was just confusing the issue, but wasn't sure if he should explain or just help Chris. A second later, he chased after his friend.

Larabee ran back into the clearing and knelt down next to the wolf. He could see she was still breathing, but with difficulty.

"You ready, girl?" he asked softly. "This is gonna hurt, and I'm sorry for that, but I've gotta move you." Chris leaned over until he was nose to muzzle. "It'll be okay. I promise we'll take good care of you." The wolf weakly flicked her tongue and licked Chris' face. "Thank you." Chris said. "Thank you for saving my life."

He moved behind the wolf and placed his arms under her body, slowly lifting her up. His chest tightening at the soft whimper. "I'm sorry, girl. I know it hurts." Chris started off, following Buck who was picking out the smoothest path through the trees. They could hear the helicopter hover and then land. Ten minutes later, they entered the clearing, the helicopter on the ground, its rotor blades still spinning.

Chris could see Nathan inside wrapping a bandage around Grissom's forearm just above the handcuffs. He ducked his head and hurried towards the aircraft, careful not to drop the wolf, which was weakly thrashing at all the noise.

Chris stepped into the aircraft with a boost from Buck, who then stepped back, since there wasn't room for him or JD inside. The injured deputy sat on the seat, his left bicep already wrapped. Nathan turned after finishing with Grissom. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Chris' injured victim.

"Chris, that's the wolf!"

"Help her, Nathan." Larabee said, fully expecting Nathan to treat this 'patient'.

"Chris, I'm not a vet," he said as Chris lowered the animal to the floor.

"She saved my life, Nathan! We have to try." A few seconds of silence followed. Chris was reaching for Nathan's medical kit to do it himself when Grissom started yelling.

"That animal mauled me! I can't believe we waited for an injured dog. I want that fucking animal put down, it's a menace!"

Chris stopped his reach for the med kit and lunged at Grissom. The only reason his hands didn't wrap around the bastard's throat was because Josiah stepped in his way.

"Ezra's getting ready to take off, Chris." He said calmly. "Stay down so you don't lose your footing when he gets airborne." Larabee's glare had Grissom crawling away, then grimacing as his injured ass hit the deck. Chris smiled at the look of pain that crossed the man's face, satisfied that he wouldn't be sitting easily for a while. Then he dismissed the man and turned his attention back to the wolf. Nathan was trying to stop the bleeding. Chris slipped on a headset.

"Ezra…"

"Mr. Larabee, Buck tells me we have Vin's injured canine on board?"

"Yeah. We need to find a vet and set down close."

"What about the deputy and that other…gentleman?"

"The wolf's injuries are life threatening. I'm sure the deputy won't mind a detour," Chris said, looking up and getting a nod from the deputy, who was also wearing a headset. "And I don't give a fuck what Grissom wants."

"That's fine with me," the deputy said. "This wolf is a hero. Do you know where the Sheriff's office is located?" he asked Ezra.

"Yes," Ezra replied.

"North of there one mile, west side of the street, there's a large parking lot next to a building with a green roof. There's a vet in that building. Doc Barker's the best in town. He treats the K-9 dogs."

"I'll head that way. I'll contact Ms. Wells to have her call the good doctor and advise him that we are enroute."

"Tell her it's a gunshot wound to the left rear hind quarter and a stab wound to the right side, deep." Chris told him.

/

The vet and two assistants were waiting with a gurney at the edge of the parking lot. Since the lot was full, two Tahoe PD cars had been alerted to stop traffic so that the chopper could land in the street. As soon as it set down, Chris jumped from the aircraft, turning back to take the wolf from Nathan. The animal was unconscious now and her breathing had become very shallow.

Chris carried the wolf over to where the vet waited and gently laid her on the gurney. He followed as they wheeled it back into the animal hospital, not paying attention as the chopper lifted off again enroute to the hospital to drop off Grissom and the deputy. The vet was issuing orders as they rushed into the building.

"Doc," Chris called. The vet turned around. "She saved my life, Doc."

"I'll do my best. If I can save her life, I will." Chris nodded and watched the team go through the doors. He took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed his face with hands that he didn't notice were covered with blood.

"Sir? Sir?" Chris glanced at the young woman standing before him, not sure how long she'd been calling him.

"Sorry."

"No problem. If you'll follow me, I'll show you where you can clean up," she said, pointing to his equally bloody clothing.

"Yeah, that'd be great, thanks."

/


	3. Chapter 3

**_CHAPTER 3_**

Two hours later, Chris was showered and dressed in surgical scrubs, courtesy of the doctor's receptionist. He was in the waiting room along with the rest of the team, except Vin. The sharpshooter was still in the hospital himself and would be for several days. His doctor had sedated him, again, to keep him from following the others after he'd heard what had happened to his canine friend.

The door opened and the vet joined the men in the room. He smiled tiredly.

"Gentlemen, I'm Doctor Nick Barker. Sorry we didn't get to introductions earlier. Is this your dog?" he asked Chris.

"No, she's a friend of a friend. But she took that bullet for me. And she helped bring in an escaped murderer."

"I see. Well then, I'm very happy to report that neither the bullet nor the knife struck anything vital. She did lose quite a bit of blood, which will keep her condition critical until she regains some strength. We'll keep a close eye on her for the next few days."

"Anything she needs, Doc, I'll cover all the expenses," Chris insisted.

"We'll help," Buck added. The others nodded their agreement. "And I'm sure Vin will want to kick in some too."

"Well, I'm glad to see so many people concerned about her. By the way, does she have a name?" the doctor asked.

"No," Buck explained. "She's not really a pet. Vin said she started hanging around the forest near his cabin after he freed her from a trap. He just calls her wolf."

"So Vin Tanner is involved with this animal, huh? I should have known." Barker smiled.

"You know Vin?" Chris asked.

"There's not many people in my office that haven't met Vin. He's rather a champion for the sick and injured of the animal kingdom. If Vin is a friend of this wolf, my staff will be sure to take extra good care of her. Mr. Tanner is well-respected and well-liked here. He purchased our surgical equipment." This bit of information surprised the men of the team. But then again, it was just like Tanner.

"Well, I guess he had to do something with all the money he made," Buck muttered.

"Speaking of Vin I'd really like to get to the hospital to see him," Chris said. "Doc, any chance I can get to see the wolf before I leave? Vin will want some reassurance that she's okay."

"Vin was hurt?" the doctor asked, concerned for his friend.

"Yeah, the bastard we were chasing when the wolf got hurt blew up Vin's cabin." At the doctor's expression, Chris continued. "He's okay. Some bumps and bruises, and a broken arm. The doctors wanted to keep him overnight for observation."

"Good. I think it would be okay for you to see the wolf. But just a short visit. She needs her rest."

Chris followed the doctor back to the room where the wolf lay on an examination table, her black fur a startling contrast to the white bandages wrapped around her body. Chris reached out his hand and scratched behind her ear, leaning over the unconscious animal.

"You did good, girl. I owe you a steak dinner. You kept watch over Vin until we got there and you saved my life. You truly are man's best friend. Thank you." He turned and saw the doctor standing in the doorway. "Your receptionist has my number. I'd appreciate a call when she starts to wake up."

"I think we can do that. Tell Vin hello for me. And assure him that his friend is in good hands"

The two men shook hands, then Chris and the others headed to the hospital.

/

**_The next afternoon_**

Vin Tanner opened his eyes slowly, listening to the soft voices around him.

"Hey, Cowboy. How ya feelin'?" Vin looked up into Chris' concerned face.

"Chris," he muttered, blinking his eyes and trying to clear the fuzz from his brain.

"Take it slow, Vin. The medication's still got ya groggy. You slept all night and most of today," Nathan said from the other side of the bed.

"Sit up?"

Larabee reached for the controls and raised the bed. Vin looked around and found the rest of the team sitting on the floor and in chairs around the room. He smiled when he realized everyone was there. He was glad they were all okay.

He'd been too out of it the night before to grasp too much of what they'd told him had happened. And the men had spent the morning at Vin's cabin, salvaging what they could, so this was the first chance they'd had to really talk to him about the incident.

"Grissom?"

"In custody, thanks to a well-placed bullet from Buck and an equally well-placed knee from JD." Chris smiled and glanced at the two men.

At Vin's confused look, Chris explained what had happened. After Nathan embellished JD's part in the apprehension, Vin started to chuckle softly, which turned into full-blown laughter, only stopped when he grimaced in pain from his sore ribs.

"Oh, JD, thank you. Buck great shot! It couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy." He turned to Chris, his smile gone. "The wolf? I remember something about the wolf being hurt."

"She's gonna be okay. She lost a lot of blood, but Doc Barker was able to repair the damage. They'll keep a real close eye on her the next couple of days, make sure she's healing well."

"Nick's a good man. Best animal doctor I've ever seen. Thanks for bringing her in, Chris."

"That damn wolf saved my life, Vin," Chris told his friend. "She took a bullet meant for me. Not to mention she helped us find you. I figured I owed her."

"Once she's better, I'll take her back to my place, help her get better." The others exchanged looks. Chris averted his eyes, looking out the window. "What? What is it?"

Larabee glanced at the others, than turned back to Tanner. He cleared his throat and looked away again. "Chris?" When the older man wouldn't meet his eyes, Vin lightly tapped his arm, forcing him to look at his injured friend.

"Vin, I'm sorry. There, ah, there ain't nothing left of your place, except the barn and the corral."

Vin slumped against the pillow. He'd assumed there was some damage, but hadn't known the extent.

"Nothing?" he asked in disbelief.

Chris shook his head. "The cabin's gone, Vin. Grissom totally destroyed it. We were able to salvage a few pieces of furniture and some books, a couple photos, a few other items, but the house is a total loss." When Vin didn't respond, Chris continued. "We took what we found to my place. And your horse and jeep are there, too. You can stay with me until you decide what to do."

"Damn. I guess I'm lucky I got out of there," he said softly.

"Yeah! Real lucky, Cowboy."

Vin stared at the ceiling. Suddenly he sat up and grimaced in pain at the sharp movement.

"Easy, Vin." Larabee put a hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving too fast.

"Chris! My picture!"

"The one of your ma? We found it. It'll need a new frame, but the photo is intact. It must have been blown clear." Chris knew that the photo was the only one Vin had of his mother and had been sure to look for it when he and the others had gone to the site to salvage what they could. "Ezra found it underneath some debris." He patted Vin on the shoulder to let him know everything was okay.

A sigh of relief escaped Vin's lips. "And Elmer?"

"Doing fine. Seems happy to have some company. I cleaned out that end stall for him. He's in heaven."

"Are you spoiling my horse?" Vin asked with a frown. "He'll never wanna go back to that drafty old barn."

"He can always stay. Hell, most of the time you bring him over to my place to ride anyway. It'll take a while to re-build your place, so I thought you could stay with me in the meantime. You're welcome there for as long as you want."

"I don't want to put you out."

"I'll be happy for the company," Chris assured him.

"Alright then. But just until I get my place re-built." The two men exchanged smiles. Vin looked around at his friends and gave a smile nod. They were all okay; Grissom was back in jail where he belonged. And he would be out of the hospital in a couple of days. Things were good.

/

**_One Week Later_**

Chris and Vin walked through the door of the Vet's office. Tanner was awkwardly using a cane, and had a thick brace around his knee and a cast on his arm. The bruises were beginning to fade and the cuts and burns were healing, but he still looked like he met head-on with semi.

"Vin! My lord, you are a sight! Are you okay?" The middle-aged woman behind the desk came through the half-door and gave the young man a gentle hug.

"I'm fine, Sandy. Is Doc Barker in?"

"He's doing a check-up on your wolf. Go on back." Vin led Chris into the back room and saw Barker and a young woman with blue hair crouched near a large cage on the floor. They could hear the pair talking as they walked in.

"Damn," the doctor said. "I really don't want to sedate her just to take vitals. We won't get an accurate reading."

"Problem, Doc?" Barker turned and smiled at the two men behind him.

"Vin! Glad to see you up and around. Your friend here is a little frightened."

Vin limped closer and saw the ebony animal tucked up against the rear of the cage, trying to get as far away from humans as possible. The young woman stared at Vin as he stopped next to her. "Hi Steph," he said. She smiled shyly at him but didn't say a word. She'd developed a crush on Vin the first time she'd met him and always got tongue-tied around him.

"Chris, give me hand," Vin said, setting his cane aside and grabbing the edge of a nearby counter. He started to lower himself to the floor.

"Tanner, what the hell are you doing?" Chris took hold of his arm.

"Just help me down. I need to be able to look her in the eyes."

"Let me do that. You'll never get up off the floor."

"Ain't that what you're here for?" Tanner asked with a smirk.

"Stubborn ass cowboy." But Chris helped his friend settle in on the floor. For a minute, Vin just sat there with his hand on his leg. Slowly he began moving it closer to the wolf, letting her get used to Vin sitting there. As the canine got a good sniff of Vin's scent, she moved closer, recognizing her friend. Still in pain, she moved slowly, and after several minutes, she lay her head down on Vin's thigh and closed her eyes.

Vin talked to her and rubbed a reassuring hand on her head as the doctor finished his exam. "When can I take her home, Doc?"

"She's going to need a lot of follow up care, Vin." The doctor eyed the cast and brace on Vin's body. "I'm not sure you'd be able to handle it all in your condition."

"He'll have help, Doc," Chris said, smiling at Vin's surprised look. "We can set something up on the back deck."

"Chris, you don't need to…" Larabee raised his hand to halt Vin's protest.

"Tanner, I told you, that you were welcome there. That goes for the wolf too. I owe that animal my life Vin. The least I can do is give her a safe place to recuperate."

Vin smiled in gratitude and looked down at the wolf, still lying in his lap. "What do you say, girl? Think Chris can put up with both of us, as stubborn as we are?"

Chris snorted. "You forget, I've put up with Buck for over a decade. You two will be a piece of cake. At least I won't have to clean up after you."

A soft bark punctuated his remarks, causing both men to laugh. The wolf's tail softly bounced on the bottom of the cage, her contentment obvious.

"Well, I guess that's a consensus then."

"Well, gentlemen? Is everything okay?" the doctor asked, looking up from his chart.

"Yeah, Doc, everything's fine," Chris said. "Both of the wounded will be staying with me. When can we take her home?"

"Anytime. I'll have Stephanie type up a list of instructions for our patient's care…the wolf's, not Vin's." Chris and Barker shared a laugh at Vin's scowl.

"They're picking on us, girl," he told the wolf and received a soft growled in reply.

"I'll pull the truck around." Chris left as the doctor started talking to Vin about the animal's care.

/

**_Three Weeks Later_**

"Chris, we can't keep her confined any longer. She's basically a wild animal. She can't stay caged up like this."

"Vin, the doctor said he needs to check her one last time. Now, I've put a call into him to see when he can make it up here. You don't want her to be released before she's completely healthy, do you? She has to be able to survive out there."

The two men watched the wolf pace around the enclosure they'd made on the back deck. "If the Doc can't make it out here today, I'm letting her loose."

"Fine! I'll try to call again." Exasperated, Chris picked up the phone.

Vin opened the door and limped out onto the deck. He now wore a smaller brace on his knee and would for another couple of weeks while he continued physical therapy. But he wasn't so stiff and was able to sit in the chair with relative ease. The wolf continued to pace for several minutes, while Tanner watched her. Then she came over and sat next to him. He reached out and scratched her ear.

"I'm sorry, girl, it won't be much longer. I'm sure Chris never bargained for this. I'll bet he's regretting his decision to let us stay."

"Not on your life, Cowboy," Larabee said from where he leaned against the doorjamb, his arms crossed against his chest. "I don't regret it for a second. And Doc Barker is on his way up. Should be here in about thirty minutes."

Vin smiled. "Hear that, girl? Won't be long now and we can let you go. Get you back out there running around in the woods." The wolf stared at Chris for a long minute, then placed her head on Vin's thigh. The animal seemed more like a pet every day, Chris thought. More dog now than wolf. He wondered if she it would still be able to fend for herself back in the wilderness.

/

Later that night, Chris was finishing up some paperwork in his home office. The doctor had given them the go ahead to release the wolf, and they'd decided to drive her up to Vin's place the next day, so she could be back in familiar territory. Vin had gone to bed about an hour earlier.

Larabee finished up his report and turned off the computer. He walked through the house turning off lights and locking doors. He glanced out to be sure the wolf was okay and shook his head when he noticed Vin lying on the deck, asleep. The wolf lay next to him, her head resting on Vin's chest.

Chris grabbed a blanket from the back of the sofa and walked outside. The wolf lifted her head watching Chris move closer. She sat up, lifting her head off Vin's chest, but placing a paw there, as if staking her claim.

"It's okay, girl," Chris said quietly. "Just don't want him to get sick laying out here in the cold." Larabee unfolded the blanket and covered up Vin's legs, then holding up one end until the wolf moved its paw. He covered up Vin's chest and started to move away.

The wolf stood and walked over to him. Chris crouched back down and stroked the animal's head, rubbing his hand down the wolf's side, lightly touching the scar from the knife wound. The wolf nudged his head, licking his face, then turned and settled back down on her human pillow.

Chris went back inside, closing the door behind him.

/

The truck pulled up to Vin's cabin site. The sharpshooter had been here earlier during his convalescence, but it still hit him hard when he realized how close he'd come to being in the cabin when it was destroyed. Grissom was back in Texas for now. He wouldn't be tried in Nevada for several months and the Texas correctional facility still had escape charges pending against him.

The two men got out of the cab and Chris lowered the tailgate and reached in to open the carrier that they'd transported the wolf in. As soon as the door was opened, a black flash of fur flew out of the cage and onto the ground. The animal gleefully ran around the property, into the woods and around the barn and corral.

Chris heard Vin's laughter as he watched the animal's obvious glee in being returned home. Chris smiled at the canine's antics. After several minutes, Vin walked toward the ruins of his house, his laughter gone now. Larabee followed him. They'd salvaged everything they could, including wood and stones. Vin planned to recycle what he could when he rebuilt.

"Winter's coming," Vin said. "Too late to start building now. Have to wait 'til spring."

"I reckon," Chris said, knowing where the conversation was heading.

"I've already been at your place a month, Chris."

"Yep. And I imagine you'll be there a few more."

Tanner shook his head. "I've imposed too long. Maybe I should…"

"It's not an imposition," Chris interrupted, shaking his head. They'd been over this before. Chris sometimes had a hard time expressing his feelings, but was determined to make his friend understand. "Vin, I've lived alone for over three years now, ever since Sarah and Adam died. I've enjoyed that solitude. But in the last month…I've come to discover that I like having someone around. I like having you around. I'm not sure I could tolerate somebody like Buck or JD for an extended period. But you don't crowd me. You give me my space when I need it."

Chris walked up beside his friend. He watched him for a couple of minutes before something occurred to him. "Vin, are you uncomfortable staying with me? You've probably lived on your own most of your adult life. I didn't even think how hard it would be for you to share living space with someone. I'm sorry, it just…"

"No, Chris, it ain't that." Vin insisted. He hung his head, but Larabee could see a small smile on his face. "I…It's just new for me. The first week I kept waking up, wondering where I was." He chuckled. "But I…I kinda like it now."

"So what's the problem?" Chris replied with a smile of his own.

"I don't wanna start liking it too much," Vin's voice grew quieter as he made this confession to his friend. "I don't want to screw it up."

Chris had never seen this side of Vin before. He knew very little about the man's past, but did know he'd lost his mother young and spent most of his childhood in foster care. He imagined that as a foster kid, you could never depend on any permanence in your life.

"Vin…" Chris wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Finally, he just decided to be frank. "I don't want you to move. Stay with me this winter. Come spring, if it ain't working out for some reason, then we can see about rebuilding up here. But I think you and I will be fine."

Vin glanced up to see Chris smiling at him. He returned the smile. "Yeah. But you'll tell me if I get on your nerves? If you want me out?"

"Trust me, you'll know. What say we head home?"

"Sounds good. I could use a beer."

"Yeah."

As they walked back to the truck, the wolf trotted toward them. She stopped a couple of feet in front of them and sat on her haunches.

"You be good, now," Vin told the wolf. "I won't be here to keep an eye on you, so be careful." Tanner walked closer, but the animal darted into the woods. "Damn stubborn cuss." Chris laughed as the two men climbed into the truck and drove away.

As the truck headed down the dirt path, the wolf walked slowly out of the trees. She watched the truck until it was lost from sight. Then she lifted her head to the sky and howled, the mournful call crying out her loneliness.

/ THE END /


End file.
